Woburn resort named DEFRA Bees’ Needs Champion for green roofs

The newest Center Parcs village, Woburn Forest, which opened in the summer of 2014 in Bedfordshire, has just been named a Bees’ Needs Champion by DEFRA at their annual awards ceremony.

The short break holiday village has been awarded this accolade for the green roofs on two of their main buildings, which were planted in 2014.

The DEFRA Bees’ Needs Champions Awards, hosted at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, brings together 30 champions to celebrate bee-friendly initiatives, from playgrounds to parks and farms to famous shopping streets. As winter approaches, bee experts are also calling on the public to take action to keep bees buzzing over winter, with tips on providing homes and food as the temperature drops.

The awards celebrate success in six categories: youth groups, schools, local authorities, farming, construction and community groups. They have been judged by a number of organisations on adopting DEFRA’s National Pollinator Strategy. The champions come from all over England and are responsible for a wide range of projects.

Center Parcs Woburn Forest has been recognised along with other organisations including; the Bee Farmers Association, The Honey Club, The Bee Conservation Trust, Coventry University and Goldthorpe Primary School in Barnsley to name but a few.

Upon hearing the news last week, Rich Watson, landscape asset manager at Center Parcs, said it was a ‘wonderful surprise’.

“Our rangers work so hard to create habitats across the forest to attract a wide variety of native species,” he said.

“The natural environment is part of who we are and is a big reason why so many families come and visit us each year for a short break. We are very passionate about wildlife and are always trying to find new ways of making our forests inviting to all plants and creatures great and small. A huge thank you to those who nominated us, this recognition means a lot to us.”

Rangers from the Center Parcs Woburn Forest team attended the awards to celebrate the accolade and collect the award.